What makes MarkManager the best choice?
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Marking high-stakes
examinations
There are few examples in any industry where the service provider literally runs its own business on the same code that it licenses to its customers.
That's an inherent guarantee of quality and future-proofing beyond what a standard software vendor can offer. Almost every-one who becomes familiar with MarkManager comments on the depth and range of its functionality, which reflects the developer's role as a "high stakes" exam practitioner in a high volume environment operating under close public and political scrutiny.
Simplified
deployment in the field
MarkManager only requires a supported web browser on each client device, together with broadband-level Internet or internal network access. This effectively makes MarkManager a "zero deployment" solution outside the data centre.
For individual users, MarkManager supports the most common browsers - Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox on either Windows or Apple Mac. Zero client deployment makes self-support for markers achievable, which has special advantages for markers from remote locations who can now participate without incurring travel expenses. In turn, the testing body can choose from a wider range of markers. The testing body also benefits from reduced implementation and technical support costs. Effectively, MarkManager enables markers to "work from anywhere" without increasing technical support costs.
Configurability
and Flexibility
MarkManager is highly configurable and flexible. Often customer requirements can be met with minimal or no software change. Many MarkManager settings can be configured system-wide or by examination, by marking segment (in the case of specialized marking of an examination), by user role and by specific marker.
Examples of settings are "double marking rules" and "daily script caps". Additionally, markers and supervisors can each set preferences for how the most common screen panels are displayed. For example, each marker can set and retain his or her own marking screen display preferences.
For each course, MarkManager customers are empowered to carry out set-up themselves, in such areas as booklet segmentation for specialized marking and id masking.
The advantages this flexibility brings to the customer include lower implementation costs, greater agility and reduced preparatory costs for each examination series.
Deep domain
expertise
The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) has gained deep assessment expertise over its many years of working with the NSW Higher School Certificate and curriculum, widely acknowledged as one of the world's most sophisticated examination and marking environments.
In 2017, there were 117 HSC examinations for NESA-developed courses with a total of around 800,000 booklets being marked onscreen. Oral examinations and submitted works marked onscreen were additional. The MarkManager team has unrivalled expertise in scanning, on-line marking and total solution delivery, both for its own needs and for support of its customers.
Systems compatibility
MarkManager has been designed from the ground up to interoperate seamlessly with other systems and facilities via accepted technology standards.
MarkManager supports the IMS Question & Test Interoperability (QTI®) standard for exchange of candidate item responses and marks awarded with online testing systems. Bespoke interfaces with third-party online testing systems have been and can be developed on demand.
MarkManager supports customer selection of scanning and post-processing technology by adopting accepted ISO pdf standards for upload of scanned scripts with embedded script metadata. This approach enables the customer to choose the scanning environment most suited to its needs.
MarkManager interfaces with existing applications to receive candidate and marker data, and to submit marks on completion without human intervention. It supports an industry standard known as Web Services for both initiating and responding to service requests of this nature.
Funded
development plans
NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has a continuous self-funded development and enhancement plan for MarkManager, independent of customer funding and other external factors. Come what may, NESA is fully committed to maintaining MarkManager's leading competitive position in the on-screen marking system world.
